Who Is Accountable for the Poor HSC Results?

Dear Sir,

The 2026 Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination results, with only 52.12 per cent of students passing, have exposed serious weaknesses in our education system. Nearly 47.88 per cent of candidates failed, with a significant number reportedly belonging to the Science group. This raises an important question: why are so many students struggling?

Schools and colleges should be the primary centres of learning, yet many colleges fail to complete their syllabuses on time, forcing students from Science, Humanities and Business Studies groups to depend on private tuition. Why should taxpayers pay college teachers’ salaries if students still need private tutors to complete their courses? Moreover, the additional cost of private tuition makes Science education increasingly difficult for students from financially disadvantaged families.

The government must ensure teacher accountability and improve the quality of classroom teaching. Education is a fundamental right, not a privilege. It is high time we addressed these shortcomings.